P'Kal question: Does it lock closed?

gamma_nyc

gamma_nyc

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Dec 1, 2007
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Hi,

Does the P'Kal lock closed? I am looking for a knife that does, so that I can carry while running in urban areas or mountain biking.

I had been carrying an emerson comrade. Awesome knife, but does seem to open up slightly if subjected to lots of movement.

Otherwise, any other spyderco knives that would fit this requirement?
 
I know the P'Kal doesnt lock closed. Maybe run a bit of bike inner tube or a rubber band around it as a sort of "safety" it would go on and off fast enough. Just a thought.
 
It doesn't LOCK closed, but it STAYS closed pretty darn well.
Jogging and whatnot will not make it open.
 
If a knife is being *locked* when closed then it most probably is a gravity knife - and those aren't allowed in nearly every country in the world.
 
Most Kershaw Speedsafe knives has safety lock that locks the blade closed.
 
The front lock / lockback design is very good in this regard. With a liner lock detent, once the blade breaks free of the resistance keeping it closed, it can swing open easily, such as the Emerson you have. With a front lock, if the blade moves a little, there is still force pulling it shut once it's moved past the initial resistance.
 
Vivi, the P'kal's ball lock puts pretty good closing pressure on a blade also. Not as much as a strong lockback, but probably the next best thing. I can open my P'kal a good half inch and it'll snap closed.
 
I've slepted with a d4w cliped to my basketball shorts plenty of times. Although this is a lockback, it has not deployed when its not suppose to. I've also slepted with my Mini-Ritter Grip "waved" cliped to my basketball shorts as well. This hasn't opened on me either. I think if they won't open when you sleep, then you should be fine having it clipped on you while doing your activities.
 
Joe Talmadge said:
Vivi, the P'kal's ball lock puts pretty good closing pressure on a blade also. Not as much as a strong lockback, but probably the next best thing. I can open my P'kal a good half inch and it'll snap closed.
Click to expand...

Correct, it was much stiffer than the D'allaras I've handled, the only other ball lock knives I've used. I think lockbacks are pretty sound in this regard compared to most common lock types though.

Either way, Gamma, the only Spyderco I've handled that I thought opened too easily was an ATR. It was one of the reasons I passed one up for sale at a local store. I've had a Benchmade or two that had this problem as well. One was the gravitator, don't recall the second.
 
if your EKi is opening up either the pivot is too loose(tighten the pivot some) or something isnt right with the detent(send it to EKI for repair), it should not come open like that, not easily anyway, i carry EKI's and spydies when jogging/biking/etc all the time and have never had a problem.

i wouldnt wanna have to put rubber bands & such on any pocketknife to keep it closed, if ya have to do that somethings wrong with the knife imho, and it ruins any advantage the knife offers as far as ease or speed of opening.
 
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